Best Auto Insurance Companies: Compare Coverage and Costs

Choosing the right car insurance policy can allow you to get affordable coverage while ensuring you also receive good customer service if you must make a claim. It’s important to know what to look for in a policy and to compare rates and coverage amounts when selecting the best car insurance companies.

We’ve checked out customer reviews, prices, and coverage options to pick the eight best car insurance providers. This guide will show you some top insurers to consider getting quotes from, and will also help you to learn what you need to know to find the best coverage.

On this Page:

• Best Auto Insurance Companies
• How to Find the Best Car Insurance Rates
• What to Look for in the Top Auto Insurance Companies
• What Type of Policy Do You Need?
• Additional Auto Insurance Considerations

What Are the Best Auto Insurance Companies?

Here are our top picks for the best auto insurance companies.

Amica

Amica was founded in 1907 and is the oldest mutual automobile insurer in the United States. The company also offers home and life insurance, in addition to car insurance. The insurer is headquartered in Rhode Island but today has 44 locations across the U.S.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 887
• A.M. Best Rating: A+
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 5.00

Types of Coverage

Amica offers many coverage options including:

• Property damage liability
• Bodily injury liability
• Medical payments
• Personal injury protection
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
• Collision coverage
• Comprehensive coverage
• Roadside assistance
• Glass coverage
• Rental car reimbursement

Pros

• Top ratings: Amica has one of the highest J.D. Power satisfaction ratings in the United States, and also has a top rating from A.M. best.
• Comprehensive coverage options: Amica offers more types of coverage than most auto insurers, including coverage for the interior of your vehicle and GAP insurance in case your car is declared a total loss while you still owe on your loan. You can also opt for Platinum Choice Coverage to provide additional protection at a higher cost.
• Flexibility: There are no restrictions on where you can get your car repaired.

Cons

• Fewer discounts than competitor insurers: Many other insurers provide more opportunities for lowering premiums.
• Limited resources online: You can’t complete your quote process on the Internet, and Amica also provides fewer details on its website about its policies than many other insurance providers.
• You have to talk to an agent to change your policy: Certain coverage changes will require you to get on the phone with an agent, which can be inconvenient and time-consuming.

Travelers

Travelers is the second-largest U.S. property insurer and the third-largest personal insurer. It works through a network of independent agents and has offices in every U.S. state. The company offers home and auto insurance for individuals, business insurance, and bond and specialty insurance.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 866
• A.M. Best Rating: A
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 4.52

Types of Coverage

Coverage options available through Travelers include:

• Liability coverage
• Comprehensive coverage
• Collision coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
• Medical payments coverage
• Loan/lease GAP insurance
• Rental coverage
• Roadside assistance
• New car replacement
• Accident forgiveness
• Ride-sharing

Pros

There are some significant benefits associated with Travelers Auto Insurance, including the following:

• Good ratings: Travelers received good marks from JD Power & Associates and AM Best. It also has fewer complaints relative to other companies of its size.
• A wide variety of coverage options: You can get special types of coverage from Travelers, such as new car replacement insurance and coverage if you work as a driver for a ride-sharing company—a policy many competitors don’t offer.
• Rewards for being a good driver: Accident forgiveness and forgiveness for tickets are available for motorists who have a good driving record. Also, your deductible may be decreased if you go long enough without an accident.

Cons

There are also some downsides to Travelers, including the following:

• Travelers has received some customer complaints about its claims process.
• Premiums are more expensive than some competitor offerings, especially if you don’t qualify for discounts.

Farmers

Farmers Insurance is a subsidiary of the Zurich Insurance Group, a Swiss company. It provides auto insurance, home insurance, and insurance coverage for small businesses along with other financial services.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 874
• A.M. Best Rating: A
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 4.29

Types of Coverage

Farmers offers many types of coverage including:

• Liability coverage
• Comprehensive coverage
• Collision coverage
• Uninsured or under-insured motorist coverage
• Personal liability protection
• Medical payments coverage
• New car replacement coverage
• Customized equipment coverage
• Towing and roadside service coverage
• Accident forgiveness
• Loss of use
• Car rental coverage
• Glass buy-back

Pros

Here are some of the big advantages of buying auto insurance through Farmers:

• High ratings: Farmers has a high JD Power satisfaction rating as well as a good AM Best rating. The insurer also has fewer complaints than average for its auto, life, and homeowners insurance products.
• Customizable policy options: Farmers provides flexibility in coverage options so you can get the specific coverage you are looking for.
• Comprehensive coverage options: You can get common add-ons, such as accident forgiveness, as well as coverage not offered by all competitors, such as customized equipment coverage to protect you in case you have custom parts installed in your vehicle.

Cons

There are also some downsides to be aware of, including the following:

• Some low-cost policies aren’t as comprehensive as competitor offerings: For example, some of the auto insurance packages with the lowest premiums left out rental car coverage.
• Farmers is more limited in its service areas than some other insurers: It doesn’t have as large of a nationwide presence and not all drivers throughout the U.S. will be able to get a policy through Farmers.

The Hartford

The Hartford Financial Services Group is an insurance and investment company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. It’s the 12th largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. and offers auto and home insurance through a network of brokers across the country. Hartford also writes insurance policies for the AARP.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 868
• A.M. Best Rating: A
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 4.21

Types of Coverage

The Hartford makes many types of auto insurance available including:

• Liability coverage
• Comprehensive and collision coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Medical payments coverage
• New car replacement coverage
• Accident forgiveness
• Glass coverage
• Towing coverage
• Rental car coverage
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Pros

Here are some of the biggest advantages of choosing The Hartford as your auto insurance company:

• Top ratings: The Hartford receives top marks from JD Power as well as from AM best. It also gets great reviews on customer service.
• Comprehensive coverage options: You can get coverage that some competitors don’t make available, such as mechanical breakdown coverage to pay for repairs not included in your car’s warranty.
• Discounts: You can score generous discounts with The Hartford, including getting breaks for bundling home and auto coverage.

Cons

• Claims ratings are only average: Although the Hartford received good J.D. Power ratings overall, its ratings specifically on claims management were only average.
• Limited online resources: There’s not as much material available on The Hartford’s website as many competitors offer. This makes it harder to learn what insurance coverage you need and what benefits the insurer can provide.

GEICO

GEICO is the second-largest car insurance company in the United States. It dates back to 1936 and it insures vehicles for more than 15 million policyholders across the country. Insurance coverage is available in all 50 states and is sold both through agents and directly to consumers.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 857
• A.M. Best Rating: A++
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 4.2

Types of Coverage

Geico offers many types of car insurance coverage including the following:

• Liability insurance
• Medical payments coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
• Collision coverage
• Comprehensive coverage
• Emergency roadside assistance
• Mechanical breakdown insurance
• Rental reimbursement

Pros

There are some big advantages to choosing GEICO, including the following:

• Strong tech tools: GEICO has a full-featured website and a great mobile app that you can use to get quotes and manage policies.
• Top ratings: GEICO gets good reviews from customers and has a top A.M. Best Rating as well as a good score from JD Power.
• Ample discounts: You can score savings from GEICO for many reasons including working for the government or certain companies, or for insuring multiple vehicles.

Cons

There are also some disadvantages to consider including the following:

• Limited customer support options: GEICO typically handles claims and customer service through its mobile apps, so you’re likely to get less over-the-phone interaction and probably won’t deal with in-person agents for questions or concerns.
• Fewer coverage options than some competitors: GEICO doesn’t offer some of the policy protections made available by competitors, such as GAP insurance to pay off the remaining balance of your auto loan if your car is totaled when it’s worth less than what you owe.

Nationwide

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company is an insurer and financial services company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. It has regional headquarters in several U.S. states including Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Iowa and provides life insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, and business insurance.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 858
• A.M. Best Rating: A+
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 4.09

Types of Coverage

You can buy many different kinds of auto insurance coverage through Nationwide, including the following:

• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage liability
• Personal injury protection
• Uninsured motorist coverage
• Underinsured motorist coverage
• Medical payments
• Collision
• Rental car expense
• Comprehensive coverage
• GAP coverage
• Towing and labor coverage
• Full coverage
• Accident forgiveness
• Vanishing deductible
• Roadside assistance
• Total loss deductible waiver

Pros

• Top Ratings: Nationwide received top ratings from AM Best and JD Power. It also has better-than-average customer ratings for a company of its size.
• Expansive coverage options: Nationwide offers coverage options not available from some competitors, such as GAP insurance coverage and vanishing deductible coverage.
• Ample opportunities for discounted premiums: Nationwide provides many chances for discounts including for good drivers and for good grades if you have young people on your policy.

Cons

There are also some cons to be aware of, including the following:

• Limited features on the mobile app: Nationwide’s mobile app doesn’t offer as many features as many competitors offer. For example, you can’t submit claims information using the app.
• Costs are about average premiums: While Nationwide isn’t the most expensive insurer out there, there are other competitors on this list with more affordable premium choices for most policyholders.

Esurance

Esurance was founded in 1999 but was purchased in 2011 by Allstate and has now become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allstate. Esurance sells home insurance, motorcycle insurance, and renters insurance to consumers directly, with policies available online or via phone.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 852
• A.M. Best Rating: A+
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 4.09

Types of Coverage

Esurance offers many options for car insurance coverage including the following:

• Collision coverage
• Comprehensive coverage
• Emergency roadside assistance
• Rental car coverage
• GAP insurance
• Medical payments coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Bodily injury liability
• Property damage liability
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

Pros

There are some big benefits of buying insurance with Esurance, including:

• Top ratings: Esurance received high marks from JD Power and from AM Best, as well as from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
• Ample coverage options: Esurance provides many options for coverage, including GAP insurance and emergency roadside assistance coverage. Not all insurers provide as many types of supplemental insurance coverage.
• Great online tools: You can handle most policy tasks on the Internet with ease, and Esurance offers tons of education and information on its website.

Cons

There are also some downsides to be aware of including the following:

• Esurance has had some customer complaints: Although the insurer generally received high marks, it has also received a fair number of complaints from customers with customer service issues and problems with the way claims are handled.
• Esurance isn’t available everywhere. There are a few states where you cannot get coverage through this insurer.

Allstate

Allstate is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, and it also offers insurance in Canada. The insurer dates back to 1931 when it was founded as part of Sears, Roebuck & Co but it has been independent since 1993. It is headquartered in Illinois and is one of the largest publicly held insurers in the country.

Ratings

• JD Power Customer Satisfaction Score: 857
• A.M. Best Rating: A+
• LendEDU’s Overall Rating: 3.99

Types of Coverage

Allstate offers many kinds of insurance coverage including the following coverage types:

• Collision insurance
• Comprehensive coverage
• Roadside coverage
• Liability coverage
• Medical payments coverage
• Personal injury protection
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
• Property protection coverage
• Rental reimbursement coverage

Pros

There are some advantages to choosing car insurance through Allstate, including the following:

• Specialty policies are available: You can find coverage for classic cars, if you use your vehicle for ride-sharing, and if you take your car on a road trip to Mexico. Many insurers don’t offer these types of specialty coverage.
• Customizable coverage: You can get many different kinds of coverage for auto insurance, including several options for roadside assistance, new car replacement, and a reduced deductible if you have a year with no driving violations or accidents.
• Claims satisfaction guarantee: If you’re not happy with how claims have been handled, you can get a credit on your auto insurance premiums.

Cons

You also need to consider the downsides, including the following:

• Insurance coverage isn’t available in all states: You can’t sign up for Allstate coverage if you live in one of the states where policies aren’t available.
• Customer ratings are about average: Customers complain of various customer service issues, although the company receives high marks overall from the Better Business Bureau and J.D. Power.
• Rates are slightly higher than some competitors: You may pay more for coverage than with some other insurers on the list.

How to Chose the Best Auto Insurance

To find the best auto insurance, our Editorial Team analyzed the JD Power score (20%), A.M. Best rating (15%), Moody’s rating (15%), S&P rating (15%), BBB rating (10%), Trustpilot score (10%), states available (5%), and discounts (10%).

Learn more about our ratings and methodology here.

How to Find the Best Car Insurance Rates

To find the best car insurance rates, it’s important for you to shop around among different insurers. There can be a lot of price variation from one company to the next, so you should get quotes from at least three insurers when deciding which company is most affordable. You also need to make sure that you’re comparing apples-to-apples, so get quotes with similar types of coverage and coverage levels.

The good news is, auto insurance companies make it very easy to get a quote online—no insurance agent is required. You can simply input a few basic details about your driving history, age, marital status, where you live, and the car you drive to get a quote personalized to you.

Since prices can vary so widely from one insurer to another, it is a good idea to shop around for coverage periodically even if you are happy with your insurer. If you compare car insurance quotes every few years or ask for a discount from your current insurer, you may be surprised how much you can save on coverage.

What to Look for in the Top Auto Insurance Companies

While premiums are very important, it is not the only thing you should look for when you compare auto insurance providers. You also want to make sure the company has a good track record financially and that it has a good reputation with existing customers.

To see how well an insurance company is doing, check out:

• The company’s AM Best rating. This gives insight into how financially stable the insurer is.
• The company’s JD Power Score. This is a customer-based score that gives insight into how well run the insurer is.

Our own rankings take these scores into account, as well as ratings from the Better Business Bureau, Trust Pilot, and S&P. We also rank other factors that can affect your experience with an insurer.

A few other important factors that you will also want to consider include whether the insurance coverage is available in your state and whether you might be eligible for any discounts. Typically, you can save by bundling multiple types of insurance policies, such as home and auto coverage. You can also get discounts if you install anti-theft devices or if you have a safe driving record.

What Type of Policy Do You Need?

Choosing which car insurance company to purchase a policy from isn’t the only important decision you have to make when signing up for coverage. There are also many different kinds of auto insurance policies to choose from, and you want to make sure you get the right coverage to meet your needs.

When deciding what kinds of coverage to buy, start by looking at your state’s minimum requirements. Auto insurers help you understand these requirements when you ask for a quote.

Typically, states require you to buy a minimum amount of liability coverage, which will pay out if you cause an accident and you hurt other people or you damage someone else’s property. Your state may also require additional coverages to protect you and your passengers if you’re injured in a collision or to protect you if you get into a crash with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.

In addition to coverage required by your estate, it’s also a good idea to look at supplemental coverage that provides you with more comprehensive protection in case of a problem. These types of policies can help you to avoid serious losses if something goes wrong.

Some of the common types of coverage that you may want—or need—to buy include the following:

• Bodily injury liability: This pays out if you get into an accident and hurt someone else.
• Property damage liability: This pays out if you get into an accident and damage someone’s property.
• Collision insurance: This pays for repair or replacement of your own car if you cause a crash.
• Comprehensive insurance: This pays for repair or replacement of your own car if it’s stolen or damaged by something other than a collision.
• GAP Insurance: This pays off the remaining balance of a car loan if your car is totaled and you’re compensated for less than the outstanding balance on your loan.
• Rental car coverage: This pays for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired or replaced after an accident.
• Personal injury protection: If you get hurt, this will cover your medical bills and a portion of lost wages.
• Medical payments coverage: This is an alternate form of insurance that is sometimes required to cover medical costs incurred as a result of an accident.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: This pays out to you if you incur losses that are caused by someone with no insurance or too little coverage.

Whether these policies are necessary for you will depend first on your state’s requirements, but your own situation can also impact your coverage needs. If your car is not worth much, for example, comprehensive insurance or collision insurance may not make sense. But if you have a relatively new car that’s worth more than $10,000, it’s likely a good idea to get this coverage so you’ll be paid for the vehicle if something happens to it. Or, if you need a car to commute to work and couldn’t afford to buy a new one, making sure you’re covered is important.

It’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage and take the risk of big out-of-pocket losses, so be sure to research all your options and get the right insurance from the right company at the right price.

Additional Auto Insurance Considerations

Considerations If You Have Kids or Teen Drivers

If you have children or if there are teen drivers in your household, there are a number of things to consider when it comes to your auto insurance. First and foremost, you’ll likely want to ensure that your family members are covered if you get into an accident by getting PIP insurance or medical payments insurance. The last thing you want is for your children to get hurt and for you not to be able to cover their medical bills.

If you have teenagers who are starting to drive, getting auto insurance might become more complicated and expensive. When your teen gets their driver’s license, you should be sure to add them to your policy to ensure that they’re covered – or else your teen might not be covered if they get into an accident.

If you plan on getting your teen their own car, you should check first to see how much car insurance would cost for the cars that you’re considering. You want to get them a safe car that will also help reduce their insurance costs. If you are getting another insurance policy for your child’s car, you should also ask about additional discounts that you could get for having multiple cars insured.

If your child takes drivers’ education or defensive driving classes, they are more likely to qualify for safe driver discounts. You might want to pay a little more for certain types of insurance like accident forgiveness insurance since the odds are higher than they might get into an accident. To compensate, you can potentially choose a higher deductible in order to keep your insurance costs low

When adding your teen to your policy, shop around since you might want to change insurers. Some insurers will provide cheaper auto insurance rates for teen drivers than others.

Considerations for Seniors and Drivers with Disabilities

If you’re a senior, there’s good news – you might qualify for discounts. Seniors are known for being a low-risk demographic. That means as you get older you could see your auto insurance premiums go down significantly. Also, given that you might be retired, you could qualify for things like low mileage discounts.

If you’re a driver with a disability, the good news is that thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is illegal for companies to charge you more because you have a physical or mental disability.

The bad news is that if you have modified your vehicle for a disability, you’ll likely have to purchase an add-on policy or additional coverage in order to cover the custom equipment that you have on your car. In order to have your custom equipment insured, you must get a typical collision and comprehensive insurance plan, but you’ll have to get additional custom equipment coverage if your equipment is worth over $1,000. It’s important to note that most companies will only allow you to increase your coverage by $4,000 to $5,000, which could be problematic if you have more expensive modifications.

Considerations If You’ve Had Accidents in the Past

If you’ve gotten into accidents in the past, you might think that you’re stuck paying through the nose for insurance. That might not be the case. What matters is how many accidents or citations you have in the past, what kind of car you drive, how old you are, and how much driving experience you have.

If you have had multiple car accidents or moving violations involving drugs or alcohol, you will likely end up paying more. The same can be said if you’re young or a relatively new driver with a low credit score, as you don’t have years of clean driving behind you or much else to convince the insurer that you’ll be responsible when driving and making payments.

Some companies are more forgiving than others when it comes to accidents, so make sure to shop around so that you can find a company that will give you the best auto insurance rates despite your history.